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Never Let You Go

Marcos and Monica were married for 65 years and, for much of that time, lived in the same apartment in Buenos Aires. In 2007, aged 84, Monica was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Since that moment, Marcus devoted his time to taking care of her.

Marcos and Monica were married for 65 years and, for much of that time, lived in the same apartment in Buenos Aires. In 2007, aged 84, Monica was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Marcos looked after her himself, coping with the emotional and physical stress of being a caregiver. In the later stages of Monica’s illness, Marcos had to feed her, pureeing her meals beforehand as she could not chew. During the last year of her life, Monica was bedridden and Marcos had to change her diapers three times daily and help visiting nurses treat her bedsores – activities that took up most of his day. She could barely recognize him, though cuddles and caresses helped her to connect, even if for a few seconds. But Marcos was determined to care for his wife at home. “Tell me where she is going to be better than here,” he said. “I treat her like a princess, here she has everything.” Monica passed away in July 2011.

Technical information

Argentine photojournalist Alejandro Kirchuk was born in 1987 in Buenos Aires. He graduated from the Andy Goldstein School of Photography, and has been working as a freelance on a range of commissions and personal projects. His photographs have been published in a variety of national and international media, such as Sunday Times Magazine and The Guardian. Kirchuk’s work has been recognized by an Ian Parry Scholarship, POYi, a Terry O'Neill Award, and PhotoEspaña, among others.